iWatch Rumored to Come in Three Types, But Only the Priciest May Have Sapphire Crystal

Our knowledge of what the so-called "iWatch" actually looks like might be limited to fanciful concept art, but at least information is starting to trickle in regarding our options. The latest rumors come from the supply chains in China via the Economic Daily News (viaG for Games), and they claim that the Cupertino company will release three models of the long-anticipated piece of wearable tech sometime this fall.

Apple is supposedly planning to release two 1.8-inch models, but allegedly only the more expensive of these will support the durable sapphire crystal that's been a staple of iWatch rumors almost since the beginning. The other 1.8-inch unit, along with a smaller 1.6-inch model, will be made of another, more readily available material.

The report also notes that Apple supposedly plans to use highly conductive silver nanowire ink that stands in place of the more common indium ink oxide. This will allegedly allow Apple to maintain touch sensitivity through the tough sapphire glass without having to increase the number of sensors.

The rumors also come with a projection that we'll see the device sometime in the third quarter of this year, although that news slightly conflicts with noted analyst Ming Chi Kuo's report that production stumbles could keep the device from going into mass production until sometime in November. It's still quite possible that Apple will announce the device sometime in October, but (as in the case of other products, such as the Mac Pro) withhold the actual release for a few months.